Supercharging air induction filter device for automotive engines



Feb. 23, 1954 DEVICE FOR AUTOMOTIVE ENGINES 2 Sheets--Sheei'I 1 Filed Sept. 2'?, 1948 /0 O Q v h, o WN N f O O ONO O O O/ O O O O Q .'O .l Ommm O b. w -ww @wv @@w\ Q m NN s -Il ww Feb' 23 1954 H. A. DORMAN ET AL 670955 SUPERCHARGING AIR INDUCTION FILTER Filed Sept. 27' 1948 DEVICE FOR AUTOMOTIVE ENGINES 2 sheets- Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 23, 1954 UNITED SUPERCHARGING AIR INDUCTION FLTER DEVICE FOR AUTORIOTIVE ENGINES Harley A. Dorman, Detroit, Mich., and Douglas P. Dorman, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 27, 1948, Serial No. 51,392

(Cl. 18S-80) 5 Claims.

'This invention relates to improvements in supercharger for automotive engines.

The principal objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a supercharger for the engines of automobiles and the like which will increase the operating eiciency of the engine particularly at higher road speeds or" the automobile.

Second, to provide a supercharger for automotive engines which is silent in operation.

Third, to provide a supercharger for automotive engines which also functions to illter dust and foreign particles from the air supplied. to the engine.

Fourth, to provide a supercharger which can be applied either as an accessory on existing automobile engines as well as new equipment for new automobiles.

Fifth, to provide a supercharger which is little affected or liable to become clogged by snow or ice or other obstructions collecting around the intake.

Other objects and advantages of our supercharger will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and attached drawings. The invention is further pointed out in the claims.

The drawings, of which there are two sheets, illustrate two forms of our supercharger.

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the supercharger applied to the carburetor of an automobile, the automobile and carburetor being indicated generally by dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational View of the supercharger, partially broken away in vertical cross section along the plane of the line 2-2 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical cross sectional View through the supercharger taken along the plane of the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged detailed cross I sectional view through one of the several air passages in the supercharger.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational View, partially broken away in vertical cross section and illustrating a modified form of supercharger as applied as an accessory to an existing carburetor and air cleaner, the air cleaner and carburetor being shown conventionally.

We are aware that it has previously been proposed to collect the air for operation of an automobile engine from a point behind or Otherwise affected by the air stream of the ian of the engine and conduct this air through a conduit to the carburetor of the engine in an attempt to provide a positive pressure supply of air to the carburetor. These previous proposals are effective to a limited degree only because the fan of an automobile engine becomes inefficient and, in fact, inoperative to produce an increased air pressure above certain moderate operating speeds of the automobile.

It is our proposal to accumulate air from a portion of the slip stream of the automobile and conduct this air through a conduit of reduced cross section to the carburetor. By the term slip stream we refer to any position on or within the body of the automobile where the movement of the automobile creates a relative flow of air past the automobile. This may be at the front of the automobile directly behind the conventional radiator grill as shown in Fig. 5, or immediately above the cowl and in front of the windshield of the automobile as shown in Fig. 1, or in other positions as desired.

The supercharger illustrated in Figs. l to 4 includes a cylindrical silencer body I, the walls of which are pierced inwardly as at 2 to form a multiplicity of inwardly directed nipples 3. As is most clearly shown in Fig. 4, the nipples 3 define a Venturi-shaped passage opening between the surfaces of the body. Positioned with in the silencer body I are a series of Venturi-shaped baiies d which are positioned in nested relationship with the smaller end 5 of one baffle nested within the larger end 6 of an adjacent baffle. The walls of the bales 4 are pierced outwardly to form a multiplicity of outwardly directed Venturi-shaped nipples i similar to the nipples in the body of the silencer. It will be noted particularly from Fig. 3 that the large ends 6 of the bellies 4 terminate substantially flush with the inner ends of the inwardly directed nipples 3 in the silencer body, thus leaving an annularly arranged series of openings 8 between the periphery of the bafes and the inner surface of the body l.

Positioned around the silencer body `v`i is an elongated spiral conduit having an inner wall 9 and an outer wall I0. The walls 9 and I9 terminate at a generally vertical rectangular mouth I I which is positioned above the cowl portion of the automobile so as to be in the slip stream of air passing over the automobile. The walls 9 and Il! converge progressively around the silencer body I with the inner wall 9 being joined to the body I along an element of the cylindrical body as at I2. The outer wall I0 continues around the silencer and is joined to the inner wall 9 as at iii to cornplete a spiral passage Ill of progressively diminishing cross section open to substantially the entire periphery of the silencer I.

A lter packing I5 consisting of metal turnings or ber-like particles is retained in the passage I i by a suitable wire mesh I 6 and the packing i5 is located between the mouth II of the intake and the apertures 2 in the silencer body. A transversely extending oil pipe I 'I illustrated in Fig. 3 extends across the upper side of the filter packing I5 and is provided with a series of apertures I8 in its under side through which oil may drip to saturate the metal turnings or fibers of the iilter. The pipe H extends through one end of the inlet casing as shown in Fig. 2 and is provided with a covered ller opening I9 through which oil may be introduced .into the pipe. The density of the filter packing I5 must of course not be so great .as .to overcomethe supercharging eii'ect of the forwardly .facing inlet mouth ofthe spiral conduit. In other words the spiral passage must be left sufficiently open to transmit the air from the mouth to the interior silencer without material loss of pressure in the air stream. This may be accomplished by leaving the filter packing of relatively open character as is common with filtering masses of this type.

It will be noted from Figs. 2 and Sithatthe outer wall le of the .inlet oasingis divided ynear the bottom of the casing and provided with a lip 2B which extendstoward the open .end vof the casing in spaced relationship from the .bottom of the outer wall Iii. The .bottom of the outer wall is .provided with two downwardly opening discharge pipes 2i which open to the inside of the casing below the lip 2e.

From the foregoing description it .will -be apu parent that as the automobile moves Aforwardly' the slip stream of air Aaround the body of the automobile will create a pressure at the mouth II of the supercharger and induce a iiowof .air under pressure through the spiral .passage I4. Due to theV circularv path of flow of' the .air `in the passage a large portion of the dust and heavier particles in the air lwill be thrown auton matically against the outside wall I-and carried between the lip. 20 and the Youter wall 4to the discharge pipesl 2j. The remainder of the air will Vbe directed throughthe converging passage to the lter packing I which .will remove any residual fine dustwparticles. A screen 22 may be provided lin the mouth` i I for preventing the entry of insects and other large particles.

After emerging through the lrllterpacking I5 the air under pressure will make entry through the several nipples y.3A in the silencer body' from where it will pass around or through theseveral baiiles 5 to a tubular throat 23 atone end ofthe silencer body. .The throat 23 is connected by the. tubular conduit 24 to the inlet V25 of thecarburetor 25.sothat theair will be supplied under pressure andfin a clean ltered Vcondition to the carburetor.

As the speed of the automobile increases with the concurrentincreased demand for power .from the engine there will bea corresponding increase in pressure at the mouth II vof the supercharger due to the increased velocity of the slipstream. This increased pressure will. bel transmitted directly to the carburetor to assure an increased supercharging ieiect on the engine .to provideca portion of the increased power demand and to improve the efficiency of the engine `at highy vehicle speeds.

at Athe lmouth ii .of the supercharger combined with a cross sectionalarea of .approximately 4 square inches in the .conduit 24 .and Ainlet ,of `the We have found that a cross sectional yarea of approximately 30 square .inches carburetor provides an eicient supercharger and converts the pressure head of air at the mouth i I to a desired pressure and velocity head at the inlet to the carburetor for eiiicient operation of the carburetor. The total effective area of the several passages through and within the silencer I is between the areas of the mouth I I and conduit. 24 .and preferably .slightly larger than the cross sectional area of l the spiral passage I4 where it enters the filter packing I5. Thus the silencer I operates to break up and divide the air stream vand prevent the transmission of engine and ycarburetor intake noises through the supercharger without creating undue resistance .to thelow of: air through the silencer.

`In order to assure operation of the engine should the mouth Ii Ybecome temporarily clogged with ice or other 'foreign material the end of the supercharger casing opposite from the conduit 2i! is provided with an opening 2l closed by the spring ,pressed valve 28 and communicating when the valve is open. with the open end .of the silencer body I. The spring 2i! is of relatively light compressive strength and` should the mouth Il ybecome'clogged the suction-of theengine-will open the valve 2-and ypermit air toenter through the opening Z7. An vemergency supply of air for the engine. can also be .drawn through the outlet pipes 2|- if the yrnouthvof the supercharger is clogged.

lThe form of the supercharger illustrated rin Fig. 5 vincludes .a generally cylindrical casing 3i) arranged to rit around and enclose the familiar type of air cleaner 3i presentlyinuse on .most automotive engines. AThe casing 30 isprovided with an inlet tube 32 0to which is connected the flexible conduit 33. The conduit 33 iscarried forwardly of the radiator 34 and provided with a funnel-shaped mouth 35 positioned-directly be hind the grill .of the automobile and facing ior wardly to receive the full impact of the slip stream of theautomobile.

We have thus described. two .highly eiiicienti reproduce or adapt the same to various `makes and models of .automotive vehicles either as .ac cessories to existing modelsor as parts of newly designed vehicles. The superchargers function to increase the eihciency vof the carburetor and engine at intermediate and higher operating speeds when increased veiiciency is particularly desired without interfering with the idling speeds of the vehicle. 1

Having thus described our :invention what fwe claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. An air induction device for the engine of an* automotive vehicle=comprising a cylindricalsilencer body` having a multiplicity of inwardly directed nipples opening therethrough, said Anipples having Venturi-like cross sections, a plurality of Venturi-shaped kbaiiles positioned within said body in nested relationship and having ltheir outer edges spaced ,from theinner surface'fof said body, the walls of said baiiles dening va multiplicityof outwardly vdirected nipples having Venturi-shaped passages therethrough, a conduit eonnectingone end of said body to the carburetor of said enginefa casing surrounding said body and defining a spirally disposed passage `diminishing lin crossY sectional area and communicating with the outside of said body, said casing having an inlet mouth :positionedfin the .slip stream of the vehicle, .a 'filter .packing positioned within said spiral passage adjacent to said body,andna spirally i;

c rality of Venturi-shaped baffles positioned within said body in nested relationship and having their outer edges spaced from the inner surface of said body, the walls of said baffles defining a multiplicity of outwardly directed nipples having Venturi-shaped passages therethrough, a conduit connecting one end of said body to the carburetor of said engine, a casing surrounding said body and defining a spirally disposed passage diminishing in cross sectional area and communicating with the outside of said body, said casing having an inlet mouth positioned in the slip stream of the vehicle, a iilter packing positioned within said spiral passage adjacent to said body, and a spirally disposed lip projecting into said passage and toward the mouth thereof to form a dirt collecting pocket along the periphery of said passage, said casing defining an outlet opening opposite said lip.

3. An air induction device for the engine of an automotive vehicle comprising a cylindrical silencer body having a multiplicity of inwardly directed nipples opening therethrough, said nipples having Venturi-like cross sections, a plurality of Venturi-shaped baffles positioned within said body in nested relationship and having their outer edges spaced from the inner surface of said body, the walls of said baiiies defining a multiplicity of outwardly directed nipples having Venturi-shaped passages therethrough, a conduit connecting one end of said body to the carburetor of said engine, a casing surrounding said body and defining a spirally disposed passage diminishing in cross sectional area and communieating with the outside of said body, said casing having an inlet mouth positioned in the slip stream of the vehicle, a filter packing positioned within said spiral passage adjacent to said body,

a spirally disposed lip projecting into said pasl sage and toward the mouth thereof to form a dirt collecting pocket along the periphery of said passage, said casing defining an outlet opening opposite said lip, and a spring pressed relief valve in said casing opening to the end of said body.

4. An air induction device for the engine of an automotive vehicle comprising a cylindrical silencer body having a multiplicity of inwardly directed nipples opening therethrough, a plurality of baffles positioned within said body and having their outer edges spaced from the inner surfaces of said body, the walls of saidbaffles defining a multiplicity of outwardly directed nipples having passages therethrough, a conduit connecting one end of said body to the carburetor or said engine, a casing surrounding said body and deiining a spirally disposed passage diminishing in cross sectional area and communicating with the outside of said body, said casing having an inlet mouth positioned in the slip stream of the vehicle, a ilter packing positioned within said spiral passage adjacent to said body, and a spirally disposed lip projecting into said passage and toward the mouth thereof to form a dirt collecting pocket along the periphery of said passage, said casing defining an outlet opening opposite said lip.

5. An air induction device for the engine of an automotive vehicle comprising a tubular silencer body having a multiplicity of inwardly directed nipples opening therethrough, a plurality of baflies positioned within said body and having their outer edges spaced from the inner surfaces of said body, the walls of said baiiles defining a multiplicity of passages therethrough, a constantly open conduit connecting one end of said body to the carburetor of said engine, a casing surrounding said body and deiining a spirally disposed passage diminishing in cross sectional area and communicating with the outside of said body. said passage having a constantly open rectangular inlet mouth along the side of said casing and positioned in facing relation to the slip stream of the vehicle, a filter packing positioned within said spiral passage adjacent to said body, and a lip projecting into said passage from the outer wall thereof and toward the mouth thereof to form a dirt collecting pocket along the periphery of said passage, said casing defining an outlet opening opposite said lip.

HARLEY A. DORMAN. DOUGLAS P. DORMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,530,645 Brockway Mar. 24, 1925 1,553,249 Le Grain Sept. 8, 1925 1,791,732 Manchester f Feb. 10, 1931 1,957,919 Tice May 8, 1934 2,197,503 Martin Apr. 16, 1940 

